ZURICH: Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis beat good friend Karsten Warholm in an exhibition 100-meter sprint on Wednesday, crossing the line in 10.37 seconds at Letzigrund Stadium.
Duplantis, a Louisiana-born Swede widely known as “Mondo,” lined up against Norway’s Warholm, the 400-meter hurdles world record holder, in a duel on the eve of the city’s Diamond League meet.
“I’m pretty fired up,” Duplantis said afterward. “How could I not be?”
Warholm ran a 10.47.
“I’ve got to give it to Mondo. He beat me today fair and square,” Warholm said. “It was a great race. He was out of the blocks fast.”
The pair come up with the idea of an exhibition earlier in the season when they were debating who would be quicker over the sprint. Their times aren’t fast enough to qualify to compete in the men’s 100 at the Olympics, but are good to beat all but the most elite male sprinters.
Duplantis, the pole vault world record holder, handed his friend a Sweden running vest that Warholm is set to wear in his hurdles race Thursday.
At a Diamond League meet in Poland on Aug. 25, Duplantis broke the world record in the pole vault for the third time this year, this time clearing 6.26 meters.
He also set a world record at the Paris Olympics, clearing 6.25 meters after clinching the gold medal.
